There’s a simple reason why the 10.2-inch iPad — known simply as “iPad” — is Apple’s most popular tablet: it’s less expensive than all the rest. Apple sells it for just $329 but schools and students can buy it for even less.
Despite its popularity, however, it’s not the entry-level iPad most people should buy. That honor falls on Apple’s new iPad Mini, a tablet I’ve been testing since its launch in mid-September.
iPad Mini (2021)
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€649.00 (23% off)
Credit where it’s due, of course. Apple’s starter iPad a perfectly good tablet for people who just want to stream movies and shows, check email and casually browse the web. But it looks, feels and works like an iPad from yesteryear.
Apple used the tried-and-true tactic of sticking updated guts (new processor, new front-facing camera and double the base storage) in an old design, meaning the iPad is bound by old technologies, like Lightning charging, a Home button and large bezels and compatibility with the first-generation Apple Pencil. None of that is very exciting.
The iPad Mini flips the script by adopting the new-age design of Apple’s more expensive tablets — squared-off sides, flat edges, slimmer bezels, a display that takes up most of its front, and support for USB-C charging. Despite its size, it has basically the same look, feel and feature-set as the 2020 iPad Air. Now, that is exciting.